League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - COVID Season Edition - Vol. 2

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Watching Pens/Isles, gawd this is boring hockey... if I was forced to watch one of these teams as my own, I'd cut my own dick off again!

Again ???

 

[twabby]

Again ???

They’re like Hydras: cut one off and 2 more grow back in its place.

 

[kicksavedave]

Again ???

We all have strange rituals during playoff hockey!

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I will continue to make the point that Barzal is not the player many make him out to be

 

[crab]

I will continue to make the point that Barzal is not the player many make him out to be

I think it’s pretty challenging for him when he’s playing with a 4th liner and a mediocre 2nd liner. He’s also playing in a very defensive minded system.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I think it’s pretty challenging for him when he’s playing with a 4th liner and a mediocre 2nd liner. He’s also playing in a very defensive minded system.

Is he not playing in the same system that allowed Kuzy, OV, Backstrom, Carlson to put up great numbers?

 

[crazy8888]

I will continue to make the point that Barzal is not the player many make him out to be

He may not be mcdavid but barzal is dope. Would love to have him here.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

This could blow up in my face but I don’t understand how Vegas is good. Chandler Stephenson is their 1C.

 

[TRASHCAT]

I will continue to make the point that Barzal is not the player many make him out to be

he's expected to carry an entire team offensively and just doesn't have the interest for it

 

[TRASHCAT]

Is he not playing in the same system that allowed Kuzy, OV, Backstrom, Carlson to put up great numbers?

pretty sure Carlson would be the second best forward on that team

 

[Gurglesons]

U

I think it’s pretty challenging for him when he’s playing with a 4th liner and a mediocre 2nd liner. He’s also playing in a very defensive minded system.

He is amazing with the puck, but absolutely terrible at finishing. He’s like a Crosby who can’t score.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Isles lose the coinflip. Series tied 1-1.

Golden Kaniggits beat Minny. Boo! Go Mild! Series tied 1-1.

 

[ovikovy817]

Jeff Carter and Taylor Hall both seem better then Mantha

Mantha is not a rental

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Isles lose the coinflip. Series tied 1-1.

Golden Kaniggits beat Minny. Boo! Go Mild! Series tied 1-1.

Minnesota look really good. That series is way more even than I expected it to be. Either of those teams could win it.

 

[HecticGlow]

Mantha is not a rental

Although Hall might not be a rental, either.

Carter was a great pickup for the Pens, though. Given them a lot more depth and versatility – if/when Malkin's back, Carter will be their best 3C since Bonino, and we all remember how important he was to the Pens in their two cup runs. And even without Malkin it gives the Pens two top-6 centers.

I am disappointed that Mantha hasn't found an extra gear so far in the playoffs, in the way someone like Ovi does, or Raffl has. He seems like a confident player, which is an upgrade on Vrana, but we need some fire lit under his skates.

 

[Corby78]

Although Hall might not be a rental, either.

Carter was a great pickup for the Pens, though. Given them a lot more depth and versatility – if/when Malkin's back, Carter will be their best 3C since Bonino, and we all remember how important he was to the Pens in their two cup runs. And even without Malkin it gives the Pens two top-6 centers.

I am disappointed that Mantha hasn't found an extra gear so far in the playoffs, in the way someone like Ovi does, or Raffl has. He seems like a confident player, which is an upgrade on Vrana, but we need some fire lit under his skates.

I’ve liked Manthas play so far.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Mantha is not a rental

Carter still has one more year on that contract, but didn't both Carter and Hall have No Movement clauses that would allow them to limit the teams they would accept going to. Not sure if Carter or Hall would have entertained going to the Capitals whereas Mantha had no choice.

 

[Marshall]

It's always been odd to me that Stevie Y and the Wings are going through the most obvious and blatant tanking possible (starting last season), but they get a total pass on it. Other clubs get roasted. The Stevie Y effect, obviously, but the double-standard strikes me funny.

 

[twabby]

It's always been odd to me that Stevie Y and the Wings are going through the most obvious and blatant tanking possible (starting last season), but they get a total pass on it. Other clubs get roasted. The Stevie Y effect, obviously, but the double-standard strikes me funny.

Why shouldn’t they get a pass on it? Tanking is a good long term strategy, even if success isn’t guaranteed. The draft lottery is already in place to mitigate the benefits of tanking. What else should be done?

 

[Calicaps]

Carter still has one more year on that contract, but didn't both Carter and Hall have No Movement clauses that would allow them to limit the teams they would accept going to. Not sure if Carter or Hall would have entertained going to the Capitals whereas Mantha had no choice.

Don't know about Carter, but it's been reported multiple times that Hall chose Boston. Meanwhile, despite not scoring, I thought Mantha played his best game as a Cap last game. Hall got the GTG but it was basically a gift courtesy of 74 and the refs, and he'd been pretty invisible otherwise. Carter is a multiple cup winning vet. He knows the terrain. Mantha is in his first-ever playoff series. He may yet surprise--or disappoint.

 

[Hivemind]

Why shouldn’t they get a pass on it? Tanking is a good long term strategy, even if success isn’t guaranteed. The draft lottery is already in place to mitigate the benefits of tanking. What else should be done?

I’ve always been a fan of plan proposed by Adam Gold at Sloan Sports Conference in 2012. Unfortunately the link doesn’t seem to be active anymore, but it boils down to this:

Set the draft order to the teams that have accrued the most wins since being eliminated from playoff contention.

Bad teams still get an advantage, since they’re eliminated from making the playoffs earlier. So they have more games to accrue wins. But it punishes teams for intentionally losing, and it removes the weird incentive in which fans actually want their team to lose games down the stretch. There are no more meaningless games. Teams are incentivized to field their best rosters and play to win all season long.

 

[crab]

U


He is amazing with the puck, but absolutely terrible at finishing. He’s like a Crosby who can’t score.

Crosby that can’t score is still a pretty good player. He’s playing with the equivalent of a washed up Kunitz at this point in that Isles system.

 

[crab]

Don't know about Carter, but it's been reported multiple times that Hall chose Boston. Meanwhile, despite not scoring, I thought Mantha played his best game as a Cap last game. Hall got the GTG but it was basically a gift courtesy of 74 and the refs, and he'd been pretty invisible otherwise. Carter is a multiple cup winning vet. He knows the terrain. Mantha is in his first-ever playoff series. He may yet surprise--or disappoint.

Mantha has looked a lot better than Hall IMO. Hall was just fortunate last game that the puck ended up on his stick with basically an empty net. Otherwise he has been invisible.

 

[Gurglesons]

Crosby that can’t score is still a pretty good player. He’s playing with the equivalent of a washed up Kunitz at this point in that Isles system.

I feel like the Isles system excuse gets thrown around a lot. I think Barzal in the Tampa series was what you see a lot of Barzal doing in the playoffs. Lots of skating, lots of puck possession, but no finish.

 

[kicksavedave]

I’ve always been a fan of plan proposed by Adam Gold at Sloan Sports Conference in 2012. Unfortunately the link doesn’t seem to be active anymore, but it boils down to this:

Set the draft order to the teams that have accrued the most wins since being eliminated from playoff contention.

Bad teams still get an advantage, since they’re eliminated from making the playoffs earlier. So they have more games to accrue wins. But it punishes teams for intentionally losing, and it removes the weird incentive in which fans actually want their team to lose games down the stretch. There are no more meaningless games. Teams are incentivized to field their best rosters and play to win all season long.

That completely conflicts with a GM's normal desire to move near dead assets for something of value in the future which is a critical part to rebuilding - stockpiling draft picks and prospects. In that model, the primary tool for rebuilding is conflicting with a scheme to set draft position.

Other leagues simply reward the worst team with the top overall pick, and have rules in place for teams that blatantly try to lose to gain draft position, why can't the NHL?